Stitch removing and cutting tool



Dec. 14, 1954 J MULLER 2,696,621

STITCH REMOVING AND CUTTING TOOL Filed Nov. 18, 1952 INVENTOR. Jon-n 1 B. Mmuzn.

ATTQQMEY$ United States Patent Ofiice 2,696,621 Patented Dec. 14, 1954 STITCH REMOVING AND CUTTING TOOL John B. Miller, Gainesville, Ga. Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,174

1 Claim. (Cl. 714.1)

This invention relates to bag openers, and more particularly, has reference to a bag opener of the type adapted to open a bag or similar container the mouth of which has been stitched closed.

1 am aware of other bag openers which have been devised, which are adapted for cutting stitches, but to my knowledge, these have not been particularly designed in a manner that will cause said stitches to be effectively tensioned by the opening device when said device is shifted in one direction transversely of the line of stitching, with one of a pair of adjacent, tensioned stitches being cut simultaneously with the lifting of the adjacent stitch in a manner that will free the stitching threads for easy and speedy withdrawal from the bag.

The present invention is particularly designed to accomplish the opening of a bag in the manner referred to above, the device having the functional characteristic of cutting one tensioned stitch simultaneously with the lifting of the stitch next adjacent thereto, in a manner that will facilitate to a marked degree the removal of the entire line of stitching from its bag-closing position.

Another object of importance is to provide a bag opener of the character described which can be manufactured at low cost, in quantity.

Another object is to provide a bag opener as stated which will be so designed as to prevent the cutting edge of the opener from engaging in the fabric of the bag during the opening operation.

Still another object is to provide a bag opener as described which will be particularly designed to permit a removable blade to be incorporated therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bag opening tool of the type referred to that will be rugged, trouble free in operation, and formed without moving parts.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a bag opening tool formed in accordance with the present invention, as it appears when in use, a bag being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the tool per se, a portion of the handle being broken away;

Figure 3 is an edge elevational view in which a portion has been broken away;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the opposite side of the tool;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view, portions being broken away, of a modified form;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second modified form; and

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 indicates a molded, plastic handle capable of being produced in quantity, at low cost, said handle being relatively elongated and flattened, as best shown in Figure 3. The handle 10, for substantially its entire length, can be formed, on opposite faces thereof, with shallow longitudinal depressions 12, to facilitate gripping of the handle while at the same time permitting the handle to be manufactured from a minimum of material.

At its inner end, the handle 10 is integrally formed with a bead 14, said bead 14 serving as a dividing means that separates the handle from a fiat shank,16. The shank 16 is integral with the handle 10, being also formed from molded plastic material.

The shank 16, When viewed in cross section, may be given the shape of a flattened ellipse (see Figure 5), so that said shank can be considered as having a relatively thick portion extending longitudinally and centrally thereof, said relatively thick portion tapering progressively toward the opposite side edges of the shank.

At its outer or free end, the shank 16 is formed with a relatively elongated, V-shaped notch 18, said notch defining, at opposite sides thereof, fork arms 20, 22 in-v tegral with the shank.

The fork arms 20, 22 are each of pointed formation, and thus, said fork arms are respectively provided with outer side edges 24, 26 that converge in the direction of the outer end of the shank 16. The outer side edges of the fork arms meet the outer ends of inner side edges 28, 30 of said fork arms at the outer end of the shank 16. The inner side edges 28, 30 of the fork arms are also the respective side edges of the notch 18, and as will be noted from Figures 2 or 4, the side edges 28, 30 extend in diverging relation toward the outer end of the shank 16. The inner side edges 28, 30 of the fork arms are disposed at acute angles to one another, the angular relation of said inner side edges being such as to define an acute angle of substantially fewer degrees tihganzg e acute angle defined by the outer'side edges Referring now to Figure 4, I prefer that the fork arm 20 be tapered not only as to the width thereof, but also as to the thickness thereof, said fork arm 20 being progressively decreased in thickness toward the pointed or outer end thereof, as shown at 32. Thus, the fork arm 26 when inserted in a stitch 33 (see Figure 1) and shifted transversely of said stitch, will tension said stitch not only by reason of the progressively increased width of the fork arm, but also by reason of the progressively increasing thickness of said fork arm.

Formed in the inner edge of the fork arm 22 is an elongated longitudinal recess 34, said recess extending from the inner end of notch 18 to a location spaced a short distance away from the outer end of the fork arm 22. The recess 34 is adapted to expose, along the inner edge 30 of fork arm 22, the cutting edge of a blade 36. The blade 36 has a substantially rectangular body tapered to a point, the pointed end of the blade corresponding substantially to the pointed formation of the fork arm 22, as shown in Figure 2.

A modified form of blade is shown in Figure 6, and has been designated by the reference numeral 37. This form of blade is exac ly like the blade 36, except that the blade 37 has, at its inner end, an arcuate notch 38 interengageable with a node 40 formed on the shank 16. v

The purpose of this arrangement is to insure the fixed positioning of the blade 37, when said blade is attached to the shank 16.

Formed in the blade 36, intermediate the opposite ends of said blade, is an opening 42 adapted to receive a rivet 44 or equivalent fastening element. In this connection, the blade 36 is seated in a complementarily formed, shallow recess 46 formed in the top face of the shank 16, and extending over substantially the full area of the fork arm 22. When the blade 36 is seated in the recess 46, and the rivet 42 is applied to hold the blade in position, said blade will be held against movement relative to its associated fork arm 22. In this connection, it will be observed that the blade 36 is so disposed upon the fork arm 22 as to cause the cutting edge of the blade to be disposed angularly to the outer side edge 26 of the fork arm 22. Thus, the cutting edge of the blade 36 and the outer side edge 26 of the fork arm converge in the direction of the outer end of said fork arm. Therefore, when the tool is inserted in a stitch 47 (see Figure 1) adjacent the stitch 33, and is shifted transversely of the stitch, the stitch 47 will be tensioned by the fork arm 22, by reason of the progressively increasing Width of said fork arm 22. As the stitch 47 is tensioned, the cutting edge of the blade 36 will be forced with increasing pressure against the thread, untilthe stitch is suddenly cut.

it will be readily apparent that the tool, when used in the manner described above, will cause the adjacent stitches 33, 4'7 to be. simultaneously tensionedi After the. stitches have been tensioned: to a predetermined extent, the stitch'47 will be cut, and the. fork armZ-B' will, simultaneously with the cutting of the thread lift the stitch As a result, at opposite sides-of a bag B there will be provided loose threads, which, when pulled, will-remove the entire line of stitching.

Referring to Figure 6, l have here shown a construction wherein the blade is removable, rather than permanently attached to the shank in the manner shown in Figuresl-S. in: Figure 6 there is illustrated a-screw 48,.extendable through an opening 50 formed'inthe blade 37, said screw beingthreadableinto a complebe employed with the interengaging notch 38 and node 4%).-

Inthe form of the invention shown in Figures-7 and 8; there is a handle designated generally by the reference numeral 54 having a longitudinal, blade-receiving recess 56 extending along one side thereof. Thehandle 54 isnot unlike a common jack-knife handle, and carries a blade 58 pivotally connected to one end of the handle by a pin 66. The swung. into the recess 56.

The blade 53 is formed-from an elongated length of flat metal material, and has a back edge 62 extending inslight angular relation to a cutting edge 64. The edges 62, 64 diverge in the directionof the outer or free end of the blade 58, thus to progressively widen the blade in the direction of said free end thereof.

Short of the free end of the blade, the back edge 62 merges into a curved outer edge portion'66, while-- the cutting edge 64, close to the outer end of the blade 58, merges into a curved outer edge portion 68, the edge portions 66, 63 converging in the direction of 'the outer end of the blade.

An elongated longitudinal notch 69 opens inwardly from the outerend of obliquely to the longitudinal center line of the blade, said notch defining fork arms '78, 72. The fork arm 70 is somewhat wider than the fork arm 72, as shown in Figure 7.

The construction illustrated in Figures 7 andtS has operating characteristicssimilar to those obtained when? In other words, the fork arm72 constitutes a lifting arm analogous tothe fork arm 2%), the fork arm 70 'constitutinga cut arm analogous to the fork arm 22. When the. blade 58 is shifted transversely. of a line of stitching,.

the. forms shown in Figures 1-6 are used.

ting

blade 58,- when not in use, can be t the blade 58, and is disposed 1 the fork arm 72 will engage under the stitch 33, while the forkarm--will--engage under the stitch-47 Continued movement of the device transversely of said line of stitching will be effective to tension both of said stitches, and the stitch 47 will suddenly be cut, simul taneously with the lifting of the stitch 33.

it should be noted that in the form of the invention shown in Figure 7, it is' not essential that the cutting edge of the fork arm 70 be the outer side edge of said fork arm; The-cutting edge could, instead, be'the inner side edge of the fork. arm 70, or, if desired, both the inner and outer side edges of the fork arm 70 could be sharpened;

in all the forms of the invention it is desirable, however, that the tips of the-fork arms be rounded off or dulled, so as to prevent said tips engaging the fabric of the bag B when the tool is in use. lr'urther, rounding off or dulling of the tips of the fork arms permits the tool to-be insertedin: ones pocket without danger of injury to the person or'his garments.

Witlrfurther: reference to'the form ofthe invention shown in Figure 7, it mightbe desirable that the blade 55%,- w-hich'is analogous to the shank 16, be formed of arelatively inexpensive, unsharpened' metalmaterial. Then, the fork armflf could be constituted as a removable blade, capable of being screwed to or otherwise fixedly attached to the blade or shank 58.-

It-is believedapparent that-the invention is notnecessarily confined to the specific-use or uses thereof described above, since it maybe utilized'forany purpose to which .1t maybe suited. Nor is-the invention=to-be necessarily limited-to -the specific construction illustrated I and: described, since suchconstruction is only intended to belillust-rative of the principles of operation andithemeans presently devised tocarry'out said principles; it

being: considered that the invention comprehendsanyminon change in construction that may be permitted" within :thescope of-the appended claim.

What is claimed: is: A bagopening'tool comprising a handle; a shank-extending therefrom having an-outer end formedwith a- V-shaped notch opening inwardly-from-said outerend' and.extendinglongitudinally of: the shank said notch defining at: oppositesides=thereof a pair of fork arms on the shank" widened progressively ina direction to ward the handle, one of said fork arms constituting a stitch-lifting armand' beingextendable' under a stitch to tension and lift the same when the shank is shifted" transversely ofthe' stitch, the other fork'arm having'a cutting edge. recessed into the inner side of said fork arm to tension 'and cut a -stitch immediately-adjacent to thezfirst stitch, said cutting edge being part-of'a blade" removably secured in a matching slot on said otherfork arm;

ReferencesCited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number: Name Date- 1,986,0l6 Royston Jan: 1, 1935.- 2',256',366: Miller June -12,' 1951 

